Online info platform a must for local charities

09:41, December 21, 2011

A city draft of the first attempt to regulate charity donations on the Chinese mainland was submitted to Shanghai authorities yesterday, with the aim of creating a more credible, transparent and competitive system, said the Shanghai civil affairs bureau.

It seeks to form a unified online information platform to publicize fundraising details from charity organizations in the city, which would be subject to supervision by the bureau and related authorities.

Jiang Chuanguang, deputy dean of Law and Politics College at Shanghai Normal University, said the need for such a platform is necessary to encourage more people to give.

He pointed to a study released by his school earlier this year, which said that 44 percent of those surveyed were unwilling to donate to charities because they were unsure of how their money would be spent.

Currently, less than 30 percent of the city's charitable organizations have independent websites to inform people of how donations are used, but if this were mandatory, a greater number of people may be convinced to give, said Jiang.

"Such a platform would enable donors to see where their money goes, which would make charities more accountable and prevent them from simply collecting money from the public in the name of charity," he told the Global Times yesterday.

The draft also stipulates that charities be required to release annual audit records by June 30, and that people receive a response within 10 working days of making an inquiry regarding their donation.

But, more than just annual audits should be disclosed, said Jiang. He suggested that the allocation of all donation funds be published to further transparency.